About 40 firefighters responded to the scene from seven agencies. Police also responded. Crews attacked the blaze from outside after flames grew too intense inside the home, according to the Cornelius Fire Department.

Nearly 20 people - the property owner, about a dozen renters and a handful of guests - were in the house at the time of the fire, Johnston said.

"It's a weird situation," he said.

None of the residents or firefighters were injured during the fire.

The two-story log-cabin style home is about two miles south of Cornelius, on the 5400 block of Southwest Hergert Road. No hydrant was available near the rural home and water had to be hauled in, according to the Cornelius Fire Department.

View full sizeFirefighters battle a house fire south of Cornelius Saturday evening. Intense flames inside forced firefighters to extinguish the blaze from outside.Courtesy of Washington County Sheriff's Office

Fire investigators will be on the scene Monday to find out what may have caused the fire. At this point, the department has no leads, Johnston said.

The structure is "pretty well lost," he said. The contents of the home are definitely a loss, but the department has not yet estimated a dollar amount for damages.

Volunteers from the American Red Cross, a donation-funded nonprofit, assisted occupants of the house
in finding a temporary place to stay, Johnston said. A bus was brought
to the scene to take them to temporary lodging.

The Red Cross
will continue providing lodging, food, clothing, personal supplies,
medical assistance and mental health assistance as needed, said Thomas
McCann, a Red Cross spokesperson. He said 16 people from the house needed lodging following the fire.

A 16-person group is larger
than the organization usually expects for a single house fire, McCann
said. Other aid groups may step in long-term to help the occupants get
back on their feet.